Iran: Security forces attacked near Pakistani border April 17

Event

On Tuesday, April 17, three Iranian security forces were killed in attacks on the border with Pakistan, according to the Revolutionary Guard. One of the officers was killed in an ambush attack in Mirjaveh (Sistan and Baluchestan province) while the other two soldiers were killed when their vehicle was hit by an IED, also near the border. The Revolutionary Guard statement claims the assailants were terrorists.

Context

Drug smuggling gangs and separatist Sunni militant groups are active in Sistan and Baluchestan province, located in southeastern Iran; the population there is majority Sunni Muslim, while the Iranian population as a whole is overwhelmingly Shi'a Muslim. Sunni militant groups have carried out several deadly attacks in recent years, which they claim are in response to discrimination. For example, in April 2017, ten Iranian border guards were killed by militants in Mirjaveh; the Sunni militant group Jaish al Adl (Army of Justice) claimed responsibility for the attack.

More generally, the militant threat remains high in all of Iran's border areas, especially in the west and the east, due to weak border monitoring by neighboring countries including Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Turkey.

Advice

Due to the terrorist threat, individuals present in Iran should remain vigilant and report any suspicious objects or behavior to the authorities. Always be on guard when visiting sites deemed particularly likely to be targeted in an attack (public transportation, train stations, ports, airports, public or government buildings, embassies or consulates, international organizations, schools and universities, religious sites, markets, hotels and restaurants frequented by foreigners/Westerners, festivals, etc.).